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South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh, Park Young-sik, paid a farewell call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday, marking the end of his diplomatic assignment in Dhaka.
The meeting took place at the State Guest House Jamuna, where Ambassador Park expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in a recent drone attack on a United Nations peacekeeping base in Sudan’s Abyei region.
He also conveyed his hopes for Bangladesh’s democratic transition and said he wished for a free, fair and peaceful national election scheduled for February 12.
During the discussion, both sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and explored ways to further strengthen cooperation between Bangladesh and South Korea.
Key issues included expanding Korean investment in Bangladesh, progress toward a comprehensive economic agreement, human capital development and enhancing cultural exchanges.
Professor Yunus congratulated Ambassador Park on completing his tenure and thanked him for his role in deepening ties between the two countries.
He said Bangladesh has undertaken a series of reforms aimed at improving the investment climate and attracting greater foreign direct investment.
The Chief Adviser also noted that the interim government has resolved a long-pending issue related to the Korean Export Processing Zone in Chattogram, expressing optimism that the move would encourage major South Korean companies to increase their presence in Bangladesh.
In response, Ambassador Park said South Korean electronics giant Samsung is interested in expanding its operations in Bangladesh, including increasing mobile phone production.
He added that Bangladesh and South Korea are expected to resume negotiations in February on a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Such an agreement, he said, would allow Bangladeshi products, particularly ready-made garments, to enter the South Korean market duty free.
The ambassador pointed out that Bangladeshi garments currently make up less than five percent of South Korea’s clothing imports, a market largely dominated by Vietnam and Indonesia, whose exports enjoy duty-free access under existing trade agreements.
Emphasising people-to-people and cultural ties, Professor Yunus suggested that South Korea consider setting up more training facilities in Bangladesh, especially language institutes, to improve the skills and employability of Bangladeshi youth.
SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.
